Special to the
Opelika Observer
SZLACHETKA will perform at The Sound Wall tomorrow, with showtime set for 7 p.m.
Rolling Stone recently hailed SZLACHETKA as one of the “10 New Artists You Need to Know,” describing his album as “a soundtrack for both the highway and the heartland… a collection of road-dog roots-rockers and Americana ballads inspired by the people (and places) he’s left behind in the rearview mirror.” SZLACHETKA (pronounced SLA-HET-KA) draws a fans gaze back to a simpler time when music was less about stylized production and more about its experiential nature. His songwriting finds inspiration in the threads that connect us, weaving a tapestry of familiar moments that pay homage to the past while leaning into a future that promises both wonder and grace.
Now based in Nashville, SZLACHETKA grew up in New England and began his career as the frontman for the acclaimed roots-rock band, The Northstar Session, with whom he recorded five albums and appeared in the second season of NBC’s “Parenthood.” After nearly a decade of touring, he left the band and struck out on his own, releasing his first solo album in 2014 “Waits for a Storm to Find.” His sophomore album “Heart of my Hometown” was released in 2018.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased through www.eventbrite.com.
Leon Majcen & Bryan Elijah Smith
On June 26, Leon Majcen & Bryan Elijah Smith will perform at The Sound Wall in downtown Opelika, with showtime set for 7 p.m.
Majcen is a folk-rock singer/songwriter currently based in New York City with diverse influences that span folk, blues, country, as well as alternative rock. His distinctive vocal tone, dynamic guitar playing and a lyrical depth beyond his years deliver a fresh appeal to the folk/Americana scene. After his first single, “Love and Misery” was released in 2016, it went into rotation on SiriusXM’s The Coffee House channel and quickly racked up more than 300,000 plays on Spotify, fueling the release of the “Love & Misery” EP in 2017. He moved to New York City in fall 2018 shortly after releasing his first full-length album, NUMB, to study in the music program at NYU.
Smith is based out of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. With more than 1,000 songs penned and 11 independent releases, he is creating a self-produced legacy that began with his first song at the age of 18. The music cradles all things ‘Americana’ at heart and at hand without shying away from a truly uninhibited pop sensibility. Crossing a wide array of genres, what gets produced has been compared to the likes of everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Kings of Leon. Smith recently won second place in the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at MerleFest 2018 where he was one of 12 songwriters chosen out of 1,000-plus entries. He is touring in support of his latest release “In Through The Dark,” currently available exclusively on cd and vinyl.
Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased through www.eventbrite.com. The venue is located at 605 Ave. B.